 |
| Photos: The Oratory of Ss Gregory & Augustine |
Parishioners come from everywhere, some making many sacrifices while driving a great distance. In fact, while they have had remarkable priests, the true success story of the Oratory is the parishioners -- they are a tight-knit and committed group of dedicated lay faithful. The Oratory is the newest parish community in the Archdiocese, reflecting the pastoral necessity to minister to those faithful who feel attached to the Church's more ancient forms of prayer, thus making it a "pastoral ministry" of the Archdiocese. The Oratory is a model community for other dioceses to look to when seeking to accommodate their own Latin Mass communities. An "oratory" describes a place for worship that is designated by permission of the local ordinary for the benefit of some community or group of the faithful. An oratory, unlike an ordinary parish church, does not have geographical boundaries that would ordinarily designate a parish because parishioners come from everywhere.
The community was originally placed by Cardinal Burke under the care of Benedictine monks from the Abbey of St. Mary and St. Louis. The first rector was Fr. Bede Price, OSB, who served the community with distinction for nearly ten years, overseeing the early growth with Mass at the Abbey. Then came Fr. Aidan McDermott, OSB who played a crucial role for a short period of time, helping the community to transition and relocate to a more permanent location. This came about through the good graces of Cardinal Burke's successor, Archbishop Robert Carlson. The first relocation was to a church in a nearby suburb, Universal City with Msgr. Michael Witt named as rector, a reflection that the Archdiocese was committed to providing for the needs of the community with local clergy while also helping to find a more permanent and lasting home.
In 2018 Msgr. C. Eugene Morris was named rector while the community was relocated a final time to be in residence at a more ideal location, the church of St. Luke the Evangelist. This is a beautiful English Gothic church with a magnificent high altar and beautiful rose window above the main entrance. The church is a good fit for the community, with a beautiful sanctuary, easy highway access, ample parking, a rectory, and proper classroom space for meetings to accommodate the homeschool co-op. St. Luke's is located in Richmond Heights, a convenient suburb of St. Louis. The parish offers daily Mass with three Masses on Sunday mornings. The current rector is doing a great job and continues to build a firm foundation for the future.
